Chapter 12

A few days had passed since the incident on the Collector ship and just about everyone had been round up tighter than a box spring. Everyone knew that it wouldn't be long before they headed off for what could very well be their last mission. The crew scurried about the Normandy as though trying to put out a spreading fire. Some had unresolved issues they were trying to tie up, others were fitting in the new upgrades the Commander had ordered, and everyone else was just flat out nervous. It didn't help that the crew was worried about a full grown krogan trying to break a hole through the hull with just its skull. Shepard was ready to hop into the shuttle for a side mission that involved more mercenaries when Kelly Chambers had called over the Comm. She seemed just as upset about the tank-bred krogan as everyone else and suggested the Commander speak with Grunt before a hull breach occurred.

Shepard glanced up to the window from her position in the shuttle bay to see Grunt pacing frantically in the cargo hold. She could see the unrest in his tight posture and sighed in defeat as the krogan bashed his head against the window, a large crack forming afterward, a crack that wouldn't be cheap to repair. I guess bullet proof glass isn't the same as krogan proof, Shepard thought as she turned for the lift. As soon as she stepped off the elevator and onto the engineering deck she could hear growling at the end of the hall. She frowned at the sight before her when she opened the door. Crates were strewn about haphazardly, some contents even spilling out onto the floor, and the tank that had been left in the cargo hold had had its door ripped off the hinges. Grunt did not even seem to notice the Commander's entrance as he continued to pace about the room.

Just as he was about to slam his skull against the window again he was pulled forcefully back. He stumbled backwards until he hit the wall. He was ready to attack the intruder when he saw Shepard step in front of him, a maddening look in her cybernetic eyes as they gleamed a brighter blue than normal "Control yourself! Instead of tearing my ship apart how about you just tell me who put a hornets' nest up your butt?"

"Nobody messed with me, Shepard. They would be stupid to try"

"Then please tell me what your major malfunction is!"

"I am a krogan, we thirst for battle yet when you take me on these missions I do not feel satisfied when we are victorious!" Grunt shook his head in agitation "During the fight I am fine but in here everything is just noise, you are just noise! I feel… I don't know"

"Okeer didn't implant anything to help you figure this out?"

"No. Only images of fighting, warlords and the dead scattered about the battlefield"

Jeanette stepped away from the krogan as he appeared to calm, if just the slightest "Maybe it's a medical problem. EDI, know anything useful about krogan physiology or diseases?"

The blue orb popped up on a terminal nearby "I am sorry, Shepard, but krogans do not usually provide any information regarding krogan health"

"We were ruined by science! My people wouldn't let such knowledge leave the homeworld of Tuchanka. It might give the salarians more ways to destroy us"

"Tuchanka it is then" Shepard nodded absentmindedly as she thought about how to help the krogan "I promised Mordin that Tuchanka would be our next stop, but you will have to wait until after we help his friend. I get the feeling you're not about to die but Maelon very well might. Think you can hold in your anger that long?"

"I will. Maybe Garrus will show me what turians are really made of in the mean time"

"If by some miracle he agrees, don't hold your breath, promise not to break him. I need his ass up and moving"

She only received a reluctant nod from the krogan before walking back out the door. She noticed the crazy biotic leaning against the door way to the engines, a shit-eating grin on her face. She was about to just pass the tattooed woman until she spoke up "I knew you were a nut job but I didn't think you were one to try and take on one of those armored toads. Could hear you down below, was ready to bet twenty credits you'd lose"

"Generous of you to just give that money away, Jack"

The biotic snorted "Grunt would take you down, five seconds flat"

"You know what? I think you just volunteered"

Jack frowned in confusion at the change of subject before staring at the Commander in suspicion and sneered "Volunteered for what?"

"I've got a mission and you're coming with"

Jack gave a low growl as she followed Shepard into the elevator, crossing her arms in annoyance as it began its slow decent "I swear if you're bringing the Cerberus cheerleader with you I'll use your spine to slap her perfectly engineered face"

"As much fun as that sounds I wasn't planning on bringing Miranda along. No, you two can have a trust exercise later. Right now I have two other people who need to get along" As soon as the elevator doors slid open Jack saw who the Commander was referring to. Jacob and Thane were standing a good distance apart from one another near the shuttle. The drell assassin stood calmly, his hands clasped behind his back as he waited patiently for the Commander. The Cerberus operative, however, did not try to hide his disgust for the man as he leaned against the wall arms crossed. Jacob had made it no secret that he didn't trust the assassin, swearing that Shepard would just end up with a knife in the back. Jeanette was just grateful that Thane didn't gage the man in a fight when it was clear Jacob was trying to pick one.

Lately, Shepard noticed a lot of tension between some of her squad and she couldn't have them so paranoid about each other that they forgot they were in the middle of a fire fight. So she started bringing those who didn't like each other on simple missions hoping they would learn to trust one another. She finally got Grunt to stop harassing Mordin about the genophage and Mordin to leave Grunt alone about his barbarism. If she could get the salarian and krogan to get along with at least mutual respect between the two then she was going to get Jacob to lay off the drell. She understood Jacob's feelings and knew he was a good man but if he ever bothered talking to anyone on the ship besides Miranda he might actually learn to like the assassin. Maybe.

Jack and Jeanette could barely hear the conversation passing between the two but it sounded like it had been a bad idea to leave the two alone even if for a short period of time "You mean murder"

"We have both killed Mr. Taylor. Our methods and targets are different but it ends the same way"

"I don't take money for killing"

"If I am correct, both the Alliance and Cerberus pay an annual salary to its soldiers. Soldiers kill"

"That's not the same and yo-"

"Enough!" Jeanette surprised the two as she stepped between them as Jacob started advancing on Thane with his biotics beginning to flare to life. The dark skinned man reluctantly stopped at the glare he received. Shepard waited for the biotic power to cease before speaking "Now ladies, if we are done bitching can we all enter the shuttle in an orderly fashion?"

Shepard couldn't tell if Jacob frowned because she didn't choose his side or because she referred to him as a lady but at the moment she just wanted her "trust exercise" over with. She grabbed her helmet from the table nearby and tossed Jack a mask. Jack entered the shuttle first after grabbing her shotgun followed shortly by the Cerberus operative. Thane stood by the door and nodded his thanks to the Commander, grateful that the fight had stopped before it could begin. He gestured his hand to the shuttle, allowing the Commander to enter first. Shepard took control of the shuttle and waited for Joker to clear her.

EDI had done a full scan of the planet finding evidence of Blood Pack activity. However, the planet was covered in a thick fog and the atmosphere was not only toxic but it cut off communications. The team was going to be on its own as soon as they touched ground. This meant that the squad was going to have to stick close and watch each other's backs. Just the scenario Shepard needed to get past Jacob's thick skull. She just had to hope it would work.

Shepard eased the Kodiak out of the docking bay, keeping the door behind her open so she could keep a close eye on her squad. Jack fiddled with the straps on her boot as she stared out the window, obviously not entertained by the lack of violence. Jacob sat at the far end of the shuttle, arms crossed, as he stared the drell down as though analyzing every place a weapon could be concealed. Thane, bless his soul, was ignoring the man. Somehow Shepard began to worry it was going to be a long and agonizing trust exercise. She was just glad that it seemed she only had one head to crack instead of two.

The Kodiak landed on the top a plateau where the fog seemed thin in comparison to anything lower down. The squad put on their masks and helmets before leaving the shuttle. A quick scan of the nearby area showed a few scattered crates and some mining equipment. Shepard jogged to a path that lead down could barely make out the path through the fog. She knew that the fog would make finding the mercenaries difficult but this was just ridiculous, she could only see three clear feet in front of her and another five concealed feet past that. Shepard scanned the landing zone again and found a deactivated console nearby. Figuring it may at least have some useful data on it, Shepard turned it back on. A small tower nearby activated and a blue beam launched from its top and could be seen through the fog. On the other end of the beam another tower began to glow.

"Now what do we have here? It appears the mercs left us a trail of bread crumbs" Shepard pulled her shotgun out as it seemed a far better choice than a sniper rifle considering the limited visibility "Alright boys and girls, since communications are a no-no we're going to use the buddy system" Jack groaned and Jacob didn't bother hiding his disdain either "Jack you're with me. Thane and Jacob… please play nice. You are to keep an eye on your partner at all times. You get separated, just follow the yellow brick road and wait at the base of the tower until we find you. If we all stick close together there won't be a need for the buddy system. Move out"

Shepard took point with Jack not far behind. The group went slow down the path, walking around cliff edges and tall rock formations. They made it to the second console without a problem and activated it. Another and activated it. Another beam shot from the tower to a higher landing and they started on their way again. A noise could be heard in the distance and grew louder with each step. It was the sound of large flapping wings followed by a screech.

"Harvester in bound!" The flying worm landed far enough away from the group that the fog completely hid it. A moment later and the creature took off away from them. A strange clicking noise was approaching on the team's position and soon the fog gave way to the sight of several klixen. The large red bugs advanced forward, fiery breath escaping their mouths. Shepard easily wore down the armor plating with her incineration but the giant beetles had far more health. Jack and Shepard flanked one of the beasts and blasted the creature with their shotguns, blood spraying all over. While they dealt with one klixen at a time, Thane and Jacob used their biotics to keep the rest back or throw them off the edge of the cliff. Shepard kept her eye on Jack as they woman charged toward more. As she tried to keep pace with the crazed biotic a klixen intercepted her. Another came around a cliff face and both skittered toward her. The Commander cursed the bugs for being smart enough to use the fog to their advantage. Even though she kept her eye on the field she still couldn't make anything out in the thick clouds. The creatures had cut her off from her allies and were now backing her up against a corner.

Their fiery breath took her shields down in a heartbeat so she activated her tactical cloak. The creatures paused as their prey disappeared from sight and Shepard took careful and silent steps away from them until she was far enough away before her cloak faded. Switching to her cryo ammo, she released a volley of fire that slowed the creatures down as they tried to advance on her again. Unable to keep pace with their prey the klixen were soon dispatched. Shepard heard more clicking sounds and scanned the area but found nothing. A few gun shots went off and then nothing. Another look showed that her team was gone as well "Mother fucker" Shepard breathed as she pressed her hand to the radio "Jack, come in" Shepard was greeted with silence "Right, interference. Forgot"

Following her own advice, Shepard followed the blue light before coming to the next console but it seemed someone had already activated it. Another trail of blue continued through the fog but still no sign of her team. She cursed whichever one of them decided it had been a good idea to move on without her. Hoping the three were at the next tower, Shepard followed the light. She came across more klixen which only proved a challenge to fight by herself. One of the red bugs had gotten too close and when it died it exploded. Shepard's shields were disabled and she was knocked on her back near the edge of a cliff. Her hand reached out for something to grab as her lower body slipped off the edge. Gripping the ground as best she could she slowed her descent but still slipped over the edge. Another grab and she found a solid protrusion of rock to hold onto before she could find out just how far down the chasm went. She tried to scramble up the cliff but her feet couldn't find any purchase and her fingers were losing their grip on the rock face.

"Grab my hand!" Shepard glanced up to see a man leaning over the ledge, his hand extending out toward her. She tried to reach for the hand but it was a hair's breadth too far away. The man slid over the edge a little more and grabbed the Commander's hand "Come on, Shepard. You're going to have to help a little"

"I'm trying, Kaidan! Wasn't exactly my idea to go cliff diving just so you know!" the Commander grunted as the man began to pull her up and back onto solid ground. The two took in deep breaths before staggering back to their feet.

"Who the Hell is Kaidan?"

"What?" Shepard turned to the voice in confusion as it had turned from a deep voice to that of a woman. When she looked she found, not her old squad mate, but Jack who looked as pissed as ever and covered in bug blood. The woman stared at her impatiently as she waited for an answer. Shepard shook her head as she turned from the woman. She didn't want to think about him, about Virmire. Sometimes the memories of him hurt the most and she promised she wasn't going to break down crying like she did in front of Garrus when they reunited "He's no one"

"Whatever. Nice going with the buddy system there, boss" sarcasm dripped from the woman's mouth and Shepard didn't care. She had gotten used to the snappy, sarcastic woman. Hell, half the time it was fun talking to the biotic, especially conversations about becoming a pirate queen.

"Are you the one that activated the console?"

"Tch. No. I'm sure it was one of the meatheads. Men are stupid"

Gunfire could be heard in the distance up on one of the plateaus "Think we found our meatheads. Come on" Shepard found her fallen shotgun and started at a steady pace toward the sound of the firefight. It was strange that the sounds were coming from away from the path of the light but it was a good bet that Thane and Jacob would be there. As the two neared the peak the sound of gunfire ceased, only the sounds of low cursing could be heard. They broke through the fog and Jack almost tripped over a dead vorcha when they reached a clearing. A couple of Blood Pack laid dead and near a stack of crates was Jacob sitting on the ground with Thane kneeling over him. Jacob had a wound in the side of his leg, blood pouring from it. Thane seemed to be trying to stem the blood flow as he tied some sort of cloth around the leg.

"Shepard, there you are" Jacob was the first to notice the girls as they approached.

"Care to explain why you stepped off the beaten path? As I recall, I said wait at the tower if we got separated"

"Yeah… uh, we left for the console and found it activated when we got there" Jacob looked away in shame "I thought you had activated it, gone on ahead. Krios, here, wasn't as convinced but I ignored him. Got herded by those damn bugs until we bumped into the mercs. This hole in my leg? Could've been my head if not for the assa… if not for Krios"

"Guess that means they know we're here"

"A shuttle landed not far from here" Thane offered as he tried to help the dark skinned man up. The younger man stumbled but the drell caught him and slung one of Jacob's arms over his shoulder when he realized the man was going to have a hard time walking on his wounded leg "We might have some difficulty"

"Alright, we'll take it slow. You gentlemen stay behind us and provide support with your biotics. Remember to stay close. I don't think we can handle separating again on this planet"

"Right behind you, Shepard" Thane nodded as he helped Jacob walk.

The squad moved slow and silently to the next console and once activated, sent a beam to the location Thane said the shuttle had landed. The group stayed close together as they ascended another slope. Voices could be heard ahead, a deep booming voice ordering others around. It sounded like the mercenaries were shuffling crates around, possibly setting up cover for an inevitable fight. The fog cleared and the team was assaulted by gunfire as soon as they were spotted. They ducked behind crates and mining equipment. A krogan was leading half a dozen vorcha. Shepard and Jack focused on the advancing krogan as Thane and Jacob used their biotics to toss the vorcha about and keeping them distracted.

It took awhile but eventually the mercs were defeated. Shepard scanned the surrounding area and found one last console that could be used to shut off the mining equipment and held coordinates to the Blood Pack base. Shepard extracted the data before giving the order to return to the shuttle. Having Jacob move around on his injured leg wasn't a bright idea but splitting the team in two to retrieve the shuttle wasn't any better. Who knew how many creatures lurked nearby? Though luck seemed to shine down on them as no bugs stopped their path. The men stumbled onto the ship but a hand gripped Shepard's shoulder.

She glanced over her shoulder to see the Lieutenant giving her a warm smile that soon turned to a sheepish grin "Can I request something, Commander?" The man shifted from foot to foot as he looked down at the ground nervously, waiting for a response.

"What's on your mind?"

"Can I drive?"

Shepard gave a quizzical look "May I ask why?"

"No offense, Jean, but when you're running on adrenaline you're a little… crazy"

"And you're not?"

"No… I'm crazier" the biotic woman gave a devilish smile "Come on, boss, promise I won't get a scratch on her"

Shepard tried to clear her head and weighed the pros and cons, mostly cons, of letting Jack pilot the shuttle back to the Normandy. Positive the woman wouldn't crash the ship to kill them while she's on it, Shepard gave a silent nod of approval before entering the Kodiak. Thane had set the human down on the seat before sitting across from him. Shepard sat down next to the assassin as Jack jumped in the shuttle in evil glee. Once the Kodiak's doors shut and the ventilation filtered out the poisonous air she pulled off her helmet and set it next to her. She was surprised by the next words that came from Jacob's mouth "Hey, Krios… Thanks" The drell nodded in response and Shepard felt a ping of accomplishment. It seemed that all that had to happen for the two to get along was one of them getting shot, which didn't actually sound like a good way to bring people together.

Shepard buckled up as the engines warmed up "Um, Shepard?"

"Yeah, Taylor?"

"If you're back here… then who's piloting the shuttle?"

"Jack" Shepard tightened her seat belt, holding back her smirk as she spotted the man's horrified look as he scrambled for his own seat belt. Next to her, Thane reached for his belt as well, grunting as he tightened the strap. The assassin did his best to look calm but Jeanette felt him stiffen next to her.

Though a little shaky and going at a very high speed, Jack kept her word and landed the Kodiak back in the docking bay without getting a single scratch on it. Shepard had to admit that the look on her squad's face was worth letting the mad woman drive. Maybe that made her a bad person but still… priceless. Shepard called for Chakwas as soon as the door opened only to barely dodge a giant blue boulder from slamming into her "Garrus!"

The turian grunted in acknowledgment as he pushed himself off the side of the shuttle. He lifted his fists in front of him as he moved back to the center of the docking bay that seemed to be filled with spectators that circled around a growling krogan. The two started throwing punches at each other and the first thought that came to Shepard's mind was "You'll spar Grunt but not me?"

"More afraid of you than him" Garrus ducked a swing and circled around "That and Zaeed bet me a nice sum of credits when I win"

"I said if you win!" the veteran hollered over the crowd "Hope you don't mind, Commander, but this place was a little boring. Made a fight club while you were gone, no broken bones, promise"

"Why, may I ask, in the docking bay? We do have a perfectly good training room"

"We do but we couldn't fit everyone in there. Everyone placing bets wants to see the fight up close"

"Hey! Who votes Shepard takes on the winner?" Kasumi called from the top of some crates. The crowd cheered in agreement and people started making more bets.

"Fifty credits that Shepard wins!" Tali called.

"Make that a hundred on the krogan!" Jack yelled.

"We haven't even finished the round yet!" Garrus defended from the fighting ring.

"You won't last another minute, Turian" Jack retorted and Shepard couldn't wait for the biotic to lose her credits.